1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a center upper tray, and more particularly to a center upper tray having an improved locking structure so that the center upper tray is not undesirably opened by inertial force and head impact
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a gauge board is mounted in front of the driver's seat of an instrument panel of a vehicle, and a glove box is mounted in front of a seat next to the driver's side of the instrument panel.
A center fascia is formed between the driver's seat and the seat next to the driver's side. A switch for operating an audio system or an air conditioning system is formed on the center fascia.
Further, a tray for collecting tobacco ashes or receiving articles having small volume, such as coins or cards, is formed in the center fascia. Such a tray may be formed in other positions inside the vehicle instead of the at the center fascia.
Particularly, in order to obtain a wider collecting space for the tray, a center upper tray is mounted in the upper surface of the center fascia.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional center upper tray in a closed state, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional center upper tray 1 comprises a center upper tray housing 2, a door 3, and a locking member 4.
The center upper tray housing 2 has a hollow hexahedral structure, the upper surface of which is opened to form a receiving space therein.
The door 3 is rotatably hinged to the upper surface of the center upper tray housing 2 (the upper part of the left portion in FIG. 1), thereby selectively opening and closing the upper surface of the center upper tray housing 2.
The door 3 is fixed to the center upper tray housing 2 by the locking member 4 under the condition that the upper surface of the center upper tray housing 2 is closed by the door 3.
The locking member 4 is formed at one side of the door 3, and comprises a knob 5, a latching portion 6, and a latching rod 7.
The knob 5 is protruded from the upper surface of the door 3, and the lower end of the knob 5 contacts the latching portion 6.
The end of the latching portion 6 has a hook shape, and the latching rod 7 is formed at a portion of the center upper tray housing 2 corresponding to the hook-shaped end of the latching portion 6.
In a normal state, the latching portion 6 is latched onto the latching rod 7.
When a driver pulls the knob 5, the latching portion 6 is rotated by the movement of the knob 5, and the hook-shaped end of the latching portion 6 is separated from the latching rod 7 by the above rotation.
When the hook-shaped end of the latching portion 6 is separated from the latching rod 7, the locking member 4 is in a released state, thereby opening the door 3.
In the above structure of the center upper tray, which is opened by pulling the knob towards a driver, the opening direction of the knob coincides with the applied direction of the inertial force, thereby causing the center upper tray to be undesirably opened when an inertial force testing of the center upper tray is performed.
Further, upon impact, such as head impact, is applied to the center upper tray, the opening direction of the knob coincides with the applied direction of the head impact Thereby, the knob is rotated by the head impact, and the latching portion 6 is separated from the latching rod 7, thereby causing the center upper tray to be undesirably opened.
The above undesirable opening of the center upper tray does not satisfy related regulations, and causes injury to passengers.
Further, the above structure of the center upper tray requires many components of the locking member, thereby increasing the number of steps of an assembly process and thus deteriorating efficiency in manufacturing the center upper tray.